Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[yolker]

Hi there i was wondering if someone could give me some advice.

My Wife and I are new to having chickens but have now had 2 chickens (Tulip and Daffidil) for 2 and a 1/2 months.

Everything was going great both chickens started laying eggs and we where getting about 12 - 13 eggs a week. Then our neighbours cat gave them a scare and since then 1 of the chickens, were unsure which one, has started to what i would call "miss lay".

When we check for eggs there is 1 normal egg in the nest and 1 white soft egg which has broken underneath the bars in the mess tray.

This has been going on for about 2 weeks now and we where hoping for some helpful advice. Please.

[Hen Watch]

Might not be the cat. When my lot get a fright (like on fireworks night) I still get eggs but they are funny shapes (like torpedos or golf balls).

 

The eggs could be softies (with no shell or a rubbery thin shell that they eat) or even properly formed eggs but with very thin shells. Sometimes mine lay the latter and they always seem to know they are thin shelled and often eat them.

 

You could perhaps give them a calcium boost. Limestone Flour (from horse supply shops) is very good, just chuck a spoonful in with their feed). There are other calcium products too that others on the forum use, some in liquid form.

 

Also, do they have access to grit? My lot have a little parrot coup cup in the run with mixed poultry grit (which is the stuff with soluable shell mixed in already). That may help too.

[Egluntyne]

I'd give them a calcium supplement for starters and see if it makes a difference. Zolcal D is soluble and contains the necessary Vit D.

[yolker]

Hi again cheers for your information, i will try them out to see if it does any good.

Cheers again.